Life After the Forgotten Portrait
by ShadowLyrics1
Summary: Garry died in the Fabricated World, but Ib still remembers him! She fears of forgetting him and letting his painting live up to it's name, but that's where Garry comes in. Throughout Ib's life, she encounters his ghost and does everything she can to keep him in her memory.
1. Chapter 1

AGE 9:

Ib looked around the museum. What was she just doing? She'd better find her parents. Ib walked about the museum, but she didn't get far before she bumped into a man. She was about to say "oh, sorry," but this man looked all too familiar. He had lavender hair and a tattered blue coat. He held something out to her.

"My rose!" she exclaimed. That's right! The museum, Mary, all of it! She remembered that rose and…

"Garry!" she said jumping into his arms. He smiled and held her. "Don't you realize it?" Ib said. "We made it! We're alive!" She saw Garry's smile fade, but it quickly came back. She grabbed his hand and dragged him towards an exhibit. "Let's look around!" The saw all kinds of paintings, but Garry didn't talk the entire time. He stayed silent and held Ib's hand.

"Hey, Garry," she said. "You're not speaking. Is something wrong?" Garry shook his head. "You sure?" she said. Garry dragged her towards another set of paintings.

"Garry!" Ib said, now worried. "Say something!" He looked back at her.

"Ib!" She turned around. It was her mother and father. "We've been looking for you! Let's go, we're leaving."

"Oh," she said. She grasped Garry's hand tighter. "Mommy, this is Garry. E's my friend."

"Really?" Her mom chuckled.

"Aren't you a little old for imaginary friends?" her dad said as he smiled. Her mom elbowed him.

"Let her pretend," she said.

"Garry isn't imaginary!" she said. She pointed to him with her free hand. "Can't you see him?" Garry took his own free hand and ruffled Ib's brown hair. He smiled down at her sadly. He then tugged her hand and pointed down a hall.

"Um, I'll be right back," Ib said. Garry was practically dragging her to… a mirror? He let go of her hand and gently pushed her towards it. She looked at her reflection. Garry was right next to her, but…

"Where's your reflection?" she asked him. "Why can't Mommy and Daddy see you?" He looked at his nonexistent reflection.

"Garry?!" Ib said in a panic. He once again took her hand and led her to another painting. It portrayed a sleeping man surrounded by blue rose petals. The man had lavender hair.

"You weren't sleeping in the toy box, were you?" she said looking down. "Were you…?" She had tears in her big red eyes. She grabbed his coat and cried.

"You can't be dead!" she said burying her face in the coat. "We got out! Mary and the others can't hurt you anymore. You're not dead!" Garry took her shoulders and held her at arms length. He bent down and kissed her forehead. Ib felt her face turn red.

_FLAP_

Garry's coat fell on her head. She held it and looked around, calling his name. Somehow, she knew he would never answer. He was gone and left his coat to remember him by.

_Did Garry go to Heaven?_ Ib asked herself. She wiped her eyes and wrapped herself in the coat. She took one last look at Garry's painting (the "Forgotten Portrait," it said) and began to walk away. As she passed the mirror, something caught her eye. Someone had written on the mirror with their finger.

I LOVE YOU, IB, it said. She breathed on the mirror and wrote on it.

I LOVE YOU TOO. She watched the letters fade and went to her parents.

She promised herself that she'd never forget Garry again. She'd visit his painting often. She'd think about how kind and protective he was.

"Let's go," her mom said, leading her out of the museum. "Where'd you get that coat?" Ib took the candy Garry gave her and put it in her mouth.

"It's from a friend."


	2. A Visit From a Ghost

AGE 18:

Ib posed in the mirror. She'd traded her red and white uniform for one with a black jacket and skirt and a yellow and black striped tie. She was going to go see Garry. His painting, not actually him. She went every week. In her own car! Yes, she'd gotten her license on her birthday two weeks ago.

She looked at the pile of gifts on her bed. Every single one was from a boy in her school. She had many admirers. Everyone talked about how pretty and grownup she looked now that she was eighteen. She thought for a minute. Eighteen was around the age Garry was, wasn't it? She smiled and picked up her journal.

She flipped through it. She was going to publish a book she was writing in it about her journey through the Fabricated World, Garry, Mary, and all. Since she had started the book in April, that's what she named herself. She thought of a name based off the meanings of blue and yellow roses: Miracles and Betrayal. It sounded good.

She ran out of her apartment (she lived alone now) and headed for the museum. She found the Forgotten Portrait and sat on a bench next to it. She opened her journal and began to write.

_I sighed deeply. Mary grinned at me, seeing I was sad. _

_"It'll be alright!" she said optimistically in true Mary fashion. "Garry's fine, I'm sure! He may be trapped alone on the other side of the vines, but he's an adult. He can handle himself." I looked at her. _

_"I hope you're right," I said. I watched her search for something useful in the boxes. I couldn't help but think of my rose. Red. That meant true love, right? I wondered if it had any meaning. Garry's blue rose meant impossible miracle. He was pretty unique. But Mary's rose got me. It meant lots of different things. It meant friendship. Adultery. Betrayal. I hoped it meant friendship._

_"Mary, w_

Ib looked up from her writing. A boy with jet black hair hidden beneath a hat was looking at her book.

"What are you writing?" he asked her.

"I'm writing a book," she explained. "I'm hoping to publish it."

"What's it going to be called?" he asked.

"Miracles and Betrayal," she answered.

"I'll look for it." The boy ran away. Ib raised her eyebrows, looked at Garry's sleeping face and smiled. _What was that about? _she silently asked him.

Ib finished her chapter and went home to sleep. Strange things happened when she flopped down on her bed face first. The whole world exploded and she began to fall. She screamed as she came closer to the ground. She saw a blur dive in front of her and catch her. She looked up at the man who saved her.

"Garry!" she gasped. He put her down and she stood up.

"It's been a while," he said. He said it like this was the most casual thing in the world. Ib looked around.

"Where am I?" she asked.

"The Fabricated World," Garry answered. Ib's eyes got wide and she stared at him with a face that said _you can't be serious._ "It's okay. This is just a dream."

"Oh," Ib said disappointedly. "So you aren't real."

"No, I'm real," Garry said. Ib's gaze shot up to his. "I'm just _visiting _in a dream."

"You could do that?" Excitement raced through her body. Garry's back! Then a thought hit her. "Why didn't you do this before?!" Rage entered her eyes and she saw Garry back away slowly in fear. Ib knew her wrath could top any from that of a Lady in Blue if you got her mad enough.

"Sorry!" he apologized. "I just wanted you to live life a little before you got visited by a ghost!"

"Stupid…" Ib's rage in her eyes were replaced by tears. "I lived life thinking of you…" She began to cry.

"Um," Garry stuttered. "H-hey. You don't have to cry." Ib wiped a crimson eye with her fist and sniffed.

"On a happier note," she said smiling now. She twirled around. "Notice anything different?"

Garry studied her. "Your clothes are different!"

Ib playfully hit him in the arm. "Not that! I'm eighteen now! Do you think I look nice?" Garry blushed. "Saw that." He gently slapped himself.

"Yeah," he said nervously. "You look nice."

"And guess what else? I'm writing a book!"

"A book? What about?" Garry asked.

"It's about our adventure in the Fabricated World," she said. "I'm almost done, and I'm going to publish it." Garry grinned.

"That's nice," he said. He pointed to himself. "Am I in it?"

"Duh!" Ib said. "How can I write a book about you, me, and Mary without you?"

"Mary?" Garry shuddered. He suddenly looked up. "It's morning."

"Already?" said Ib. "But it's only been a few minutes. You'll come back soon, right?" Garry looked at her sadly. "RIGHT?!"

"I'm always there," he said putting a hand on her shoulder. "I already knew about the book and your new uniform. And I know about the gifts from all those boys." Now Ib was the one who blushed.

"I love you, Ib." He kissed her forehead, just like when he left the first time. He began to fade. She called his name, but her own voice seemed far away.

Her head bolted up from her pillow. Once she realized what had just happened, she grabbed her pillow and screamed into it. Garry was so stupid. Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid!

…Garry.

Ib began to wonder something. Last time when he said "I love you," she assumed he meant it like a brother/sister relationship. Now that she was older, did he mean something more than just as a sibling? She shook it out of her mind and packed her bag for school. But deep down, she did want him to mean it as something more.

A lot more.


	3. Old Love, New Love

AGE 30:

Ib beamed at her new book. She'd just gotten it published! She was going to go to have an interview and everything. She looked at the cover proudly. It was a blue and red rose intertwined. Her cell phone rang. She answered it.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hi!" Ib would recognize that voice anywhere. It was her friend from college, Bernadette. "I heard about the book. I already read it. A-maz-ing!"

"Thanks," Ib said.

"Quick question," Bernadette said. "Who's Garry?"

"Huh?"

"Isn't he based off someone?"

"Oh, yeah," Ib said. "But he's long gone now." They finished talking and Ib hung up. As proud as she was of herself, she was stressed beyond belief. Editors, interview, the whole nine years. She grabbed her rose from her desk and clutched it. As she did, her gaze wandered to the blinking red numbers on her clock. 3:00… 3:00?!

Her interview! She grabbed her bag, stuffed her book in it and ran out the door, dropping the rose on her bed. She was going so fast on the sidewalk; she didn't notice the boy running towards her. They slammed into each other and Ib fell and all her things from her bag fell out and scattered everywhere.

"Oh no!" she said under her breath. She started gathering her things when the boy held out her book to her.

"Is this your book?" he asked.

"Um, yeah," she said. She grabbed it and stuffed it in her bag. She stood up.

"My little brother told me about it a while ago," he said. Ib thought about the little boy reading her book at the museum.

"Oh, I know him," she said smiling. "I have to go." But he insisted on walking with her. They went the entire way there, and after the interview, he was standing outside waiting for her.

"You didn't have to do that," she said.

"I wanted to," he replied.

"You never told me your name, you know," Ib said.

"Keme," he answered. "It means 'secret.'"

"I'm Ib," she said. Her crimson eyes sparkled. Once they reached her complex, they walked around some more just to talk. Keme was 33 and got a recent job as an artist. His dream was to publish a comic book.

"I need an artist for my book," Ib said without thinking. "It's only one picture for the end. Please?" Keme smiled and nodded.

"Sure I will," he said. He ran his hand through his jet black hair. "I'm not that good, though."

"It's fine."

Ib liked Keme, but she never believed they'd do something like this. They met about five years ago. Her book was a best seller and was sold around the world. He realized his dream and published a manga version of her book, which also sold well.

But getting married? That she'd never thought of. Their families got along, and she didn't mind Keme's little brother, Atalo. She paced in her white dress. She hoped this marriage would work out. Did they rush into things?

_Hey, Ib._ She looked around. Was someone calling her?

_Did you forget my voice already?_ She did know that voice, didn't she? It was…

"I need to go to the bathroom!" She rushed out of the room before anyone could tell her to stop. She dashed through the maze of halls.

"Garry!" she called. "I know you're here! Stop hiding!"

"Who's hiding?" Ib turned to see him.

"Garry!" She rushed into his arms.

"Ib!" Garry whined. "You aren't a kid anymore! I can't pick you up!"

"Try!" Garry did try and managed to pick her up bridal style. (Fitting, huh?)

"I just wanted to tell you congratulations," he said. He finally put her down.

"Yeah," Ib said. She thought this was a little awkward. Talking about her marriage with a guy she used to like. Still liked.

"We might want to hurry," he told her. "They're looking for you."

"Well, yeah," Ib said disappointedly. "But, could you stay for the ceremony?" Garry seemed taken aback a bit.

"Stay?"

"Yes," she said. "Will others be able to see you?" He shook his head. "Good! You can sit right in the front!"

"But, Ib!" he protested. She cocked her head. He looked away and blushed. "Nothing." She dragged him to the wedding. He watched intently the whole time and smiled when she and Keme shared their first kiss. When there was a relative of Keme's who didn't like Ib and said he could do better, Garry pantomimed throwing a bucket of water on her head. Ib smiled.

Good-bye, Ib," he said near the end. "I love you." He kissed her forehead and disappeared. Ib remembered his jacket. She still had it in her closet. Maybe she'd show it to Keme and tell him about who the character in her book was based on. Just for the sake of talking about him.


	4. I Love You

AGE 40:

Ib held her five-year-old twins in her arms, Keir and Geanor. Her mom liked the names she found in the book, so she gave them the idea. Keir had Keme's long black hair and Geanor looked just like her mother.

"Mommy," Keir said. "Where're we going?"

"I'm going to show you a painting I like at the museum," Ib answered. The twins' red eyes stared curiously at Ib. She stopped dead in her tracks. The paintings were being loaded into trucks outside.

"What's going on?" she asked a man frantically, dropping the twins.

"The paintings are going into storage," he said. "The museum is getting too costly to run."

"Are they going to be back?"

"Afraid not," he said grabbing a painting and putting it on the truck. The Forgotten Portrait. "Maybe they'll be back if the museum gets more money." Ib's face darkened. She'd never be able to see Garry's painting again? No, they'd be back someday.

"Let's go," she ordered the twins. They grabbed her hands and speed walked away, tripping to catch up with Ib. Keir looked up at his mom. Geanor clutched her blanket.

_The painting will be back,_ she thought. _Someday._

AGE 89:

Someday didn't come for a while. Ib, now a frail old woman, shuffled into the reopened museum.

"Need help, Mom?" Keir asked.

"No thank you, dear," she said. She wished Keme was here with her. He died a few years ago. It brought back bad memories of losing another lost love.

"I'm going to entertain Ilaria," Geanor said holding her daughter's hand. Ilaria had just reached ten-years. She also looked like a young Ib. Keir also held his son, Asher, also ten. Asher always had his hair covering his left eye. (Remind you of someone?)

"I just want to see one painting," Ib said. Her white braid bounced as she hurried away. It seemed like forever to reach it. She stared at it. The Forgotten Portrait! She looked at Garry's "sleeping" face for a moment and then sat on the bench beside it. She heard familiar talking.

"Ib." She looked up. A man stood with a young girl. "Ib, you say. A young girl shouldn't be wandering around here alone. Let's go together!" The two faded away as they walked off. She heard creaking from another direction. She turned to see a door opening. The man peeked out and noticed a blue doll on the ground. He shrieked and shut the door. The girl came out, laughing, and held the man's hand. The faded.

"Mary." More talking? Ib's gaze fell in front of her to see a blond girl with a blue rose. The man looked at her nervously.

"Thanks!" the girl said. She ran away. The brown-haired girl with the man began to cry.

"It isn't your fault," he told her bending down to her level. "It's not…" He faded. The girl stood alone and looked around. She too faded. The man appeared directly in front of Ib. She flinched.

"It isn't your fault, Ib," he said. Garry? Was it really?

"Mom?" Keir was walking towards him, with Asher holding his hand. "Mom?!" He rushed over. Garry backed away and watched.

"Would you like to come with me, Ib?" he asked. Ib nodded. More than anything.

"But you won't see your family again," he said sadly. "I can't take you away from that." Ib didn't care. "Well, okay. If you say so." Ib felt a pain in her chest and doubled over. She collapsed on the floor.

"Mom!" Geanor ran over too. Now there was a crowd. It was painful. The most painful thing she'd ever experienced. She took her red rose from her pocket. The petals were falling off. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's go, Ib," a voice said. He reached for her hands, and out of Ib's body, he pulled a young nine-year-old girl.

"What? What?" Ib looked at herself and at her dead body. Garry held her in her arms.

"It's okay," Garry said. Ib believed him. It would be okay now. Ib hugged him tightly.

"I love you, Garry," she said. She reached up and kissed his forehead. She looked back at her family. Keir was calling an ambulance. Geanor was crying.

"Time to go," Garry told her. She leaned her head against his chest.

"Okay," she muttered. It would be okay. Garry said so.

"You aren't leaving without me, are you?" A dark-haired teenager walked up to them. No. That… It couldn't be!

"Keme!" Ib flew into his arms and hugged him. "I'm so happy!" She landed on the floor and took each boy by a hand. Despite all the commotion behind her, she smiled bigger than she had since her wedding day. She led them away, slowly fading, leaving everything behind. And soon they were gone.

Ib, now with the mind of a child, laid her head in Garry's lap. They watched the sun set over Hokkaido.

"That was a nice vacation," she said tiredly. Being ghosts, they could fly wherever they wanted as fast as any jet plane.

"It would be nice if you spent more time with me," Keme said. Ib nervously played with her red scarf. She still had the clothes she had on when she first met Garry.

"Sorry," Ib apologized. "I love both of you."

"'Love?'" Garry said. "In what way?"

"You know in what way," Ib replied. "Now let me sleep."

"Don't tell me you prefer him!" Keme said laughing.

"And if I do?"

"I'm the one you had kids with!" Keme said. Ib looked up at Garry.

"He's got a point," she said. Garry smiled and rubbed her head as she laughed. She went silent as she thought of her family. Forty years had passed since her death. What was her family doing now? Sometimes she wandered inside their house and spied on them. She once caught Asher reading her book.

"Ib," Garry said. She looked up at him. "Just go to sleep, okay?"

"Okay," she said yawning. "Um, Garry? What were you doing for those eighty years you were dead?"

Garry shrugged. "It was boring. At least the last couple years I had Keme to hang out with." He leaned closer to Ib. "But he's kind of annoying." Keme punched Garry in the head. Ib laughed again.

She motioned for Garry to lean closer and whispered in his ear.

"I love you." Garry blushed as Keme punched him again.

"I love you too."

*What? Done already? It's only been four chapters! I hope you guys liked this story I made. I put a lot of effort into it. I also hope you guys don't mind Keme being in the picture…*

*Thank you for reading and reviewing! Next is an InuYasha FanFic. Still doing my other two Ib FanFics. Sorry! I've been busy! Thank you!*


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